Chapter 212: All-purpose Ointment
Chu Xu’s cat-like eyes turned. “I don’t know him.”
“I know him.” Zhong Li became more certain, staring fixedly at Chu Xu’s face. “I must have seen you somewhere.”
He guessed, “You… came from the Capital City?”
Chu Xu: “!!!”
Why so accurate!
“Wujiu.” Zhong Li reached out to pat Chu Wujiu’s arm and pointed at Chu Xu. “Do you know this kid?”
Chu Wujiu looked over and stared at Chu Xu’s little face for a moment before saying confidently, “He looks like a Chu family member.”
After saying that, he gave Zhong Li a look as if he were an idiot.
The Chu family had three generations almost sharing the same face—how could he not recognize it when it was so obvious?
After Chu Wujiu pointed it out, Zhong Li showed a look of realization. “Ah, you’re that little bean from Duke Dingguo’s Mansion, the one who lost a fight at the banquet and cried.”
Shang Wan and the others all turned to look at Chu Xu in unison.
Chu Xu: “…”
Don’t say it out loud—doesn’t he need face?
The kid wrinkled his nose and made a funny face at Zhong Li.
Zhong Li made an even uglier face back at him, leaving everyone speechless.
Why was this man squabbling with a child?
Making such an ugly face was a total waste of his handsome features.
Zhong Li didn’t care how others saw him; as long as he was happy, that was fine.
He looked at Shang Wan. “Shopkeeper Shang, why is the young master from Duke Dingguo’s Mansion with you?”
Shang Wan: “It’s all fate.”
Zhong Li: “…”
The door to the private room was knocked on, and the shop assistant pushed it open to serve the dishes.
The wine and dishes were all ready.
After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, Shang Wan finally brought up the main topic. “I invited Boss Zhong here today because I have something to discuss.”
Zhong Li showed little interest and twirled his wine cup as he asked, “What is it?”
Shang Wan pulled a small red box from her sleeve and handed it over.
Zhong Li took it and raised an eyebrow. “What is this?”
“Ointment.” Shang Wan said, “Young Master Qiao likes it a lot.”
Hearing this, Zhong Li finally showed some interest.
He opened the box and sniffed it closely, his tone somewhat disdainful. “Why does it smell like mint?”
“Is this the medicine that cured Qiao Yu Gui?”
Shang Wan nodded. “Young Master Qiao wants to cooperate with me to sell the ointment in the medical hall under his name.”
Zhong Li closed the box and looked up at Shang Wan. “What conditions did he offer?”
Shang Wan didn’t specify, only saying, “Does Boss Zhong have any interest in cooperating with me?”
“I don’t have a medical hall under my name.” Zhong Li snorted coldly, his fair fingertip tapping the surface of the medicine box. “Aren’t you worried I’ll have someone replicate your formula?”
Shang Wan smiled without saying a word.
She dared to bring it out openly, so naturally she wasn’t worried.
Zhong Li understood this too. He opened the medicine box and sniffed again, still with a disdainful look.
“What effects does this ointment of yours have?”
Shang Wan: “I’ve given this ointment a name: All-purpose Ointment.”
“All-purpose.” Zhong Li’s lip corner curved slightly. “Shopkeeper Shang has quite the bold claim.”
Shang Wan shrugged. “I want to be modest, but my strength won’t allow it. If Boss Zhong doesn’t believe me, you can have someone try it.”
Zhong Li put away the medicine box without saying whether he would try it or not.
But since he didn’t refuse Shang Wan, she took it as agreement.
Apart from the initial interlude, the meal went quite pleasantly.
On the way back in the carriage, Chu Wujiu reached out to Zhong Li for the box of ointment.
Zhong Li hugged his arms and refused to give it.
Chu Wujiu glared at him.
“What can you do besides glaring at me?” Zhong Li pursed his lips, reached into his sleeve, pulled out the medicine box, and tossed it over.
Chu Wujiu pulled out a needle pouch from his sleeve, opened it, drew out a silver needle, scooped a bit of ointment, and sniffed it closely at his nose tip.
“How is it?”
“Just ordinary healing medicine, nothing special.” Chu Wujiu frowned as he put away the silver needle and looked across at him. “You weren’t fooled, were you?”
Zhong Li: “…”
He thought for a moment and shook his head. “She wouldn’t fool me on this matter.”
Chu Wujiu tossed the medicine box back to him. “In any case, I didn’t see anything special about this ointment.”
Zhong Li casually said, “That’s because your skills are lacking.”
Chu Wujiu really wanted to pull out a silver needle and stab this guy to death.
Before he could act on the thought, Zhong Li asked, “When do you plan to return to the Capital City?”
“After getting the Treading Snow Painting.” Chu Wujiu looked at the person across from him. “What about you? When will you return to the Capital City?”
Zhong Li didn’t answer, just smiled. His peach blossom eyes curved slightly, his gaze shimmering with charm.
Chu Wujiu turned away in disgust and waved his hand as if shooing away something dirty.
Zhong Li: “…”
He really wanted to strangle this guy!
·
Meanwhile, Shang Wan and Lu Chengjing took the two children back to the shop.
Wu Kai and the other two had just eaten at the restaurant.
The weather was hot, and going back and forth at noon was time-consuming and exhausting, so Shang Wan simply let the three rest in the shop assistants’ room in the backyard.
She told the two children to play in the room, then took Lu Chengjing next door to visit the boss lady.
Lu Chengjing then learned he had nearly died, and he stared at Shang Wan expressionlessly.
Shang Wan blinked at him—facts speak louder than arguments.
The boss lady had some impression of Lu Chengjing; he had asked her about the shop before.
So these two were husband and wife—they really seemed well-matched.
Shang Wan gave the boss lady a box of All-purpose Ointment.
Unlike Zhong Li, the boss lady thought the mint smell was nice, especially in the hot summer—it was refreshing and invigorating.
Shang Wan smiled. “If you find it useful, please help me tell the neighbors about it.”
The boss lady readily agreed.
She had scalded her hand with hot oil while cooking yesterday, and there was still a red mark on the back of her hand—perfect to try it on.
Coming out of the restaurant, the glaring sunlight stung Shang Wan’s eyes.
Lu Chengjing instinctively reached out to shield her.
The boss lady who saw them out clutched her face, thinking this scholar was quite considerate.
By the time Shang Wan and Lu Chengjing entered the room, Chu Xu and Yuan Yuan were already asleep on the bed.
No one knew what the two children had been playing before sleeping—Yuan Yuan’s little head was on Chu Xu’s belly, but her feet were kicking in Chu Xu’s face.
Lu Chengjing shook his head and went over to adjust the two children’s sleeping positions.
Shang Wan went over and pinched their faces one by one—chubby dumpling faces felt so good, with wonderful texture.
“What did A Nian say to you during the meal just now?” Lu Chengjing finally found a chance to ask.
“He told me Zhong Li is a son of a concubine.”
Lu Chengjing lowered his eyes—a son of a concubine’s status wasn’t glorious.
Shang Wan reached out to pinch his earlobe. “Guess who his father is?”
Lu Chengjing didn’t want to guess—there were so many big shots in the Capital City; how long would it take?
He grabbed Shang Wan’s hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss, saying warmly, “Please enlighten me, niangzi.”
Shang Wan raised an eyebrow at him, and Lu Chengjing leaned down to kiss the fair back of her hand again.
“Here.” Shang Wan pointed at her lips.
Lu Chengjing turned to glance at the children on the bed, saw they were still fast asleep, then quickly leaned in like a thief and pecked Shang Wan’s lips before swiftly pulling back.
Before Shang Wan could react much, his ear root turned red first. He shyly turned away, pursing his slightly red lips repeatedly.
Shang Wan looked at his flushed ear root and thought there was progress—at least his neck didn’t turn red.
“Zhong Li’s father is Marquis Anle. Though he has many wives and concubines, he has only Zhong Li as a son.”
No one knew what the marquis’s son was doing in this remote place like Dongning County.
